


Love and Other Assorted Foolishness

by puddlejumper99



Series: Tumblr Prompts [1]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: 5+1 Things, Fluff, M/M, Tumblr Prompt, just pure uncut fluff, not-so-secret kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-13 18:44:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17493248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/puddlejumper99/pseuds/puddlejumper99
Summary: written for@alexjostenfor the tumblr prompt "5 times andrew and neil kissed in secret while there were other people around + 1 time they got caught"





	Love and Other Assorted Foolishness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alexjosten](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexjosten/gifts).



-1-

The lights outside smeared, soft and still altogether too bright for the late hour. Neil leaned his face against the bus window, his hair dried in funny tufts from showering after the game.

“Go to sleep, Josten,” Wymack grunted. “We can go over strategy in the morning.”

“I’m fine,” Neil said, and immediately yawned hugely.

“Sure you are,” Wymack said, not letting his eyes leave the road for a second.

“Shut up,” Neil muttered, but heaved himself up off the seat behind Wymack and carefully made his way to the back of the bus. The Foxes lay in various states of unconsciousness in their seats. Renee rolled her head up and gave him a drowsy nod from where she sat, squashed between Allison and one of the freshmen girls.

Neil’s mouth curled up at the edge as he dropped into the back seat. Andrew glanced over at him, his cheek red from where he’d been leaning it on his hand.

“Can’t sleep?” Neil asked softly.

“Too loud,” Andrew replied.

Neil nodded. Since getting sober, Neil didn’t think he’d ever seen Andrew sleep in front of the team; it left him too vulnerable. “You played so good tonight,” he murmured, scooting in a little closer.

Andrew scoffed, but he shifted to accommodate Neil. “You scored a few goals yourself.”

“Oh?” Neil asked, a small smile tugging at his lips. “You were watching?”

“No,” Andrew said, and before Neil could call him out on the obvious lie, his hand grabbed Neil’s hair, tugging their lips together.

Neil sighed happily and nosed in closer, parting his lips to breath Andrew in. Heat bloomed in his exhausted body like sunlight soaking into a cold day. Andrew’s free hand slid up his thigh, fingers kneading into Neil’s sore muscles.  

The bus dropped beneath them with a crash. Neil’s forehead smashed into Andrew’s as he was thrown sideways. Groans echoed up the bus as the team grumbled at the rude awakening.

“Pothole,” Wymack called, his voice barely audible all the way at the back. “Go back to sleep.”

Neil grimaced, rubbing his face ruefully, and looked down to find himself halfway into Andrew’s lap. The red lines on Andrew’s cheek from before had been joined by a darker mark just above his eyebrow. His hands were tight on Neil, holding him in place.

His grip eased as Neil settled himself back down onto the seat. He brushed his fingers over the red mark on Andrew’s forehead, unable to stifle a small smile. “Oops,” he said.

Andrew huffed, letting go of Neil and shuffling so that he could lean against the window comfortably. “He’s right. Go to sleep.”

“Hmm,” Neil said, propping his head sideways against the seat. “Okay.”

Andrew shot one more irritated glance at him, then reached out and tugged Neil down so his cheek rested against Andrew’s shoulder. Neil made a small, happy hum, squirming into a more comfortable position, his forehead tucked into the crook of Andrew’s neck.

“Sleep,” Andrew said again.

Neil smiled and brushed a kiss over Andrew’s exposed throat. “Okay.”

 

-2-

“I hate these things,” Neil said, flopping into the chair next to Andrew and shoving two fingers under his tie to loosen it.

“Finally got tired of playing nice with the other teams?” Andrew said, pushing his glass towards Neil.

Neil picked it up and sniffed it, getting a whiff of the distinct bite of hard liquor mixed in with banquet punch. Normally he’d say no—he’d just never developed a taste for alcohol—but after two hours of Kevin bullying him into small-talk and networking with the other teams, he took a quick swig, making a face as the sweet-sharp taste slid down his throat.

“Disgusting,” he croaked, placing the glass back on the table and glancing over at Andrew. His eyes were fixed and intent on Neil, staring at his rumpled suit jacket. “What?” he asked. “Do I have something on my suit?”

“Moron,” Andrew muttered. “Yes or no?”

Neil froze, mouth still open. His eyes darted around; there were hundreds of people on the repurposed court, but most of them were on the dance floor, bouncing along with the beat of the shitty pop music blaring over the speakers. Christmas trees speckled the sparsely occupied tables, partially blocking the view.

“Neil?” Andrew interrupted.

“Hm?” Neil said, eyes returning abruptly to Andrew. “Yes.”

Andrew studied him for a second longer, as if to verify that he really was comfortable with it, before leaning in and looping Neil’s tie around his hand, pulling lightly. Neil followed his lead easily, letting himself be drawn into a searing kiss.

Andrew pulled back after only a second. “So,” Neil said, trying to keep his breathing even, “you like the suit?”

“Ugh,” Andrew said, releasing Neil’s tie and shoving him back onto his chair.

“You _do,_ ” Neil said, a smug grin on his face.

“Fuck you.”

“Maybe later.”

“Ugh,” Andrew repeated, and reached for the spiked punch on the table.

 

-3-

Christmas with the Foxes was a lot better than Christmas with the Ravens.

“As literally anyone could have told you,” Andrew said, when Neil expressed the sentiment. After two hours of sitting through an intense round of gift-giving, Abby’s living room was littered with the detritus of torn apart wrapping paper and empty mugs of hot chocolate. Each Fox had been tasked with getting something that could go to anyone on the team, so that they could each blindly pick a gift. It had quickly devolved into a cutthroat game of barter and theft.

Neil had given Andrew his gift—a package of bath bombs—without much thought, and left Andrew to the complicated negotiations with Nicky that seemed as much coercion as commerce. Most of the others had by now headed for the kitchen for Abby’s attempt at Christmas pudding.

They’d agreed not to get anyone personal gifts, but the couples had all exchanged gifts, and Matt had warned Neil that Nicky was hoarding “New Years Eve presents” in their dorm room. Dan had slipped Neil a wrapped box just moments before disappearing into the kitchen, dodging his protests that he hadn’t got her anything. He ran his fingers over the wrapping paper, still a little overwhelmed.

“Are you going to stare at it, or are you going to open it?” Andrew said, gruffly impatient. Neil knew he wasn’t really upset; he’d bargained his way up to a fancy set of whiskey stones in the gift exchange. Even Allison had admitted they were pretty nice.

Neil placed the box on the table and turned to face Andrew. “I didn’t get you anything,” he said.

Andrew nodded, unruffled. Neil checked the door covertly and slid his fingers into Andrew’s hair. It slipped through his fingers, soft and a little sticky from the heat of the fireplace.

Voices clamoured from the kitchen, Kevin’s strident tones echoing over the good-natured griping of the others. Neil leaned forward, a question.

Andrew leaned in to meet him, answering him with a light nip and then nudging his mouth open. Neil melted into the kiss, tangling his fingers deeper into Andrew’s hair as their tongues slid together, familiar and still heart-stoppingly new.

A bump from the hallway stopped the kiss before it could grow too far. Neil rested his forehead against Andrew’s. “I bought the whiskey stones,” he murmured.

“I know,” Andrew said, and got to his feet. “It’s a camera,” he added, jerking his chin towards the package on the table. “I overheard the busybodies talking about it last week.”

He followed the voices into the hallway. Neil picked up the gift again, his lip curled up on one side. He wondered how much had been _overheard_ and how much of the idea had been planted.

He tore open the wrapping paper to reveal a brand-new Polaroid camera. A small note on the side of the box read:

_To keep the wall going,_

_Love Dan & Matt_

 

-4-

Snow sprayed up into the air as Neil careened to a stop. He paused for a second to catch his breath before twisting around, the skis under his feet limiting his range of motion.

Kevin skidded in behind him a second later, cursing loudly. “That doesn’t count, you cut me off.”

“Are you trying to call a foul on me?” Neil asked, a grin splitting his face. The cold air nipped at his skin, bright and sparkling. The ski lodge behind them sat caked in over six feet of snow.

Kevin scooped up a bit of snow and tried to fling it at Neil, but he overbalanced, his skis slipping backwards. He hit the snow hard, spluttering.

“Better luck next time,” Neil said, popping out of his bindings and leaning his skis and poles against the rack. Day three of their skiing holiday had brought out the competitive spirit, not that Neil had any illusions about being the fastest.

Renee and Allison waved as Neil stomped inside in his heavy boots, the steamy heat of the lodge instantly fogging up his goggles. He pulled his helmet off and unzipped his coat as he made his way to the table they’d claimed.

“What took you so long?” Renee asked sweetly, eyes sparkling over a steaming mug of apple cider.

Neil scrunched his nose up at her and dumped his helmet on the table, stripping off his snow jacket. “Kevin needed to be taken down a peg.”

“When does he not?” Allison said, shoving her plate of fries towards Neil. “We’re going to the spa for the rest of the afternoon.”

“I’ll tell the others,” Neil replied, dropping into the seat opposite. There was no service at the lodge, which meant everyone had to pass messages along in person like a convoluted game of telephone. Neil was secretly kind of pleased to spend a few days without being pestered about having his phone turned off.

“Ta,” Allison said, standing up and pulling Renee along with her. Renee shot Neil another cheeky smile and followed Allison out.

Kevin clomped his way in a second later, Andrew on his heels and his jacket still covered in snow all up one side. “You shouldn’t be eating that,” he said, pointing at the plate of fries. “We’ve got a game in just over a week—”

“I will shove snow down the back of your neck,” Andrew warned, dropping into the spot next to Neil.

Kevin scowled, but stomped off towards the cafeteria without another word. Neil pushed the plate towards Andrew, studying the faint redness of a goggle-shaped sunburn on Andrew’s cheeks.

“Allison and Renee are turning in for the afternoon,” he said.

“Hm,” Andrew said.

“Do you want a hot chocolate?”

Andrew hummed another affirmation. “Okay,” Neil said, rising and rummaging through his coat to find his wallet. “Sandwich?”

“Chicken.”

“Alright,” Neil said. He tried to head for the cafeteria, but was stopped by a slight tug on his sweater. He turned, tilting his head to look at Andrew’s hand, tangled in his hem.

Andrew gave another light tug and Neil followed, stepping in close so that Andrew had to tilt his head back to meet his gaze. Neil hummed, sliding his hand over Andrew’s and feeling his sweat-damp skin. “Do you want to turn in for the afternoon?”

Andrew’s eyes darkened imperceptibly, his grip on Neil’s sweater tightening. “Do whatever you want,” he said.

“I think I’ve had enough skiing for the day,” Neil said, a sly smile pulling at his lips. He ducked his head, planting a quick, warm kiss to Andrew’s lips. “I’ll get lunch.”

Andrew released him and waved his hand dismissively. Neil’s stomach squirmed happily as he spotted Dan and Matt leading a bedraggled Nicky into the lodge. He gave them a quick wave and headed to the cafeteria, already looking forward to a lazy afternoon.

 

-5-

Neil shovelled his notes into his bag and slung it over one shoulder, shouldering his way into the crowd already thronging around the door. It wasn’t like he had anywhere urgent to be, but the hallways near his second-year calculus class got absolutely manic around lunch, and he wanted to find a table to study at for his hour-long break.

“Neil.”

Neil came to an abrupt stop, his attention magnetically drawn over to the side of the hallway. A guy bumped into him from behind, looking annoyed at his sudden stop, but when he saw the scars on Neil’s face he rethought whatever he was about to say and hurried on.

Neil cut through the stream of people to where Andrew stood, a pillar of stillness in the surrounding chaos. “Shouldn’t you be in class right now?” he asked.

“Cancelled,” Andrew said, and shoved a paper cup into his hand.

Neil hid his smile in the rim of the cup, inhaling the smell of rich, warm coffee. He took a small sip. “Do you have any more classes today?”

“No.”

“Mm. I have stats in an hour.”

Andrew only hummed in response. Neil took another sip of his coffee, admiring the slight flush to the tip of Andrew’s ears. He was bundled up in their matching coats, though Neil didn’t have his today; it wasn’t so cold he couldn’t manage with just a hoodie. He had a second cup in his hands, probably containing some sugary monstrosity. “Want to go get food?” Neil asked.

“Okay.”

Neil led the way through the press of people. The line outside the campus café was already about a mile long, so they walked five minutes off campus to one of the diners off of Perimeter Road.

The line was still pretty long, but Neil didn’t mind waiting. The cold air had bitten a spot of red onto the tip of Andrew’s nose. The others would probably consider this a date, he thought idly. He didn’t hate the idea.

“Hey,” Neil said, leaning in. Andrew blinked up at him, unimpressed. “Yes or no?”

Most of the other diners were hidden from view behind a shelf of coffee, but Neil still waited. A small crease formed between Andrew’s eyebrows as he nodded, slowly.

Neil pressed a small kiss to the red tip of Andrew’s nose and pulled back, smirking into his coffee cup. Andrew’s shoulders hunched, his chin tucking into his jacket as two spots of colour rose on his cheeks.

Neil grinned, knocking his shoulder against Andrew’s lightly. Andrew scrunched deeper into his coat, eyes hooded.

Not the worst way to spend a Tuesday, Neil reflected, as the door opened behind them, bringing in a group of college students and a gust of cold air. Not even remotely.

 

+1

Dan punched Neil’s shoulder, a fierce grin on her face as she led him back into the changerooms. “We’re going to finals!”

Neil grinned back, elation thrumming in his veins. Even the blood-hungry media couldn’t dampen his mood. He glanced back at Edgar Allan Stadium, soaking in the glory of the ten-six score one last time.

Dan headed straight for the women’s changeroom and Neil stopped in the waiting room, spinning slowly. Every decoration on the wall was meant to be a taunt, a reminder of the Ravens supremacy: banners, championship photos, trophies. It felt more than a little ironic, now that the Foxes were moving on to finals and the Ravens weren’t.

He turned back to the door and found himself facing Andrew. His hair was still glued flat to his head from his helmet, sweat drying tacky and shiny on his skin. He’d taken the time to get out of his bulky armour, but he was still wearing his orange jersey.

“You were fucking incredible,” Neil said, crossing the room in three strides. Andrew caught him easily, snagging his armour and spinning him back against the wall. “The look on their faces when you shut them out—”

Neil couldn’t even finish his statement, he was grinning too hard. Andrew pressed him into the wall and Neil let his helmet and gloves drop from under his elbow so that he could rest his arms over Andrew’s shoulders.

“We won,” he said, unable to contain it.

“Yes,” Andrew agreed.

“Do I owe you a favour this time?”

Andrew tilted his head up so their noses brushed. Neil watched his eyes dilate in the partial light, the pupil reflecting a glint of Neil’s reflection. “The Ravens you can have for free.”

“Fuck,” Neil mumbled, pulling Andrew into a heated kiss. His body felt leaden from the brutal second half, but Andrew held him up, his hands rough and hungry against Neil’s jersey. His knee found its way between Neil’s legs, grinding against him. Neil bit back a moan and rocked once, the heat of Andrew’s body surrounding him, caged against the wall.

“Oh, fuck, Andrew,” he said. “We should—”

Andrew bit his lip to silence him, slipping his tongue inside his mouth. Neil tangled one hand into Andrew’s hair, the other wrapped around Andrew’s neck to hold him close.

Someone squeaked.

Andrew whipped his head around, his grip on Neil tightening. Neil sucked in a gulp of air. Nicky had both hands over his mouth, sudden terror overcoming his features. “Oh my god—guys don’t—”

Kevin shoved Nicky aside impatiently and made it halfway into the room before spotting Neil and Andrew, still entangled against the wall.

He rolled his eyes. “Can’t you wait for the hotel?” he groused, dropping onto a couch and folding his arms.

Andrew released Neil, stepping back out of his space. A slow redness crept over Neil’s face as he spotted Matt and two of the freshmen standing behind Nicky in the hallway.

“I, um, Andrew, I’m so sorry—” Nicky said, eyes wide with fear as Andrew turned to face him.

“Not a word,” Andrew warned.

“Right, of course, just gonna zip those lips, ha-ha—”

“It’s fine,” Neil said. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Neil, I—”

“I said it’s fine,” Neil repeated. “I’m just going to go—shower.”

He hurried out of the room, Andrew a step ahead of him, hoping against hope that nobody would notice the rather compromising state the front of his jersey shorts were in.

“Don’t take too long!” Kevin called after them.

“Fuck off,” Neil shouted back, grateful for knee-jerk response. Matt gave him a grin that was equal parts surprise and congratulations, and a big thumbs up which Neil kind of wished he could un-see.

The changerooms were pretty much empty, so Neil quickly stripped off his gear and piled it into his bag, wrapping a towel around his waist. He felt Andrew’s eyes on him and glanced up, spotting Andrew in a similar state of undress.

He licked his lips, eyes darting over to where a couple of the showers were still running. “Hotel?”

Andrew’s gaze slipped down his bare chest to the slight tent at the front of his towel. Neil felt molten, his body tingling and a little shaky from the unexpected interruption. Andrew reached out, slow and deliberate, pressing his fingers into the iron scar on Neil’s shoulder. Neil’s heart kicked up another gear, the tips of Andrew’s fingers like tiny, burning stars on his skin.

“Hotel,” Andrew agreed, dropping his hand. Neil blinked rapidly, his chest stuck and pulse pounding.

Andrew vanished into one of the shower stalls and Neil took a couple deep breaths, willing himself to calm down. The hotel was less than twenty minutes away.

Twenty minutes never felt so long.

**Author's Note:**

> also on [tumblr](https://writingpuddle.tumblr.com/post/182173355605/prompt-idea-5-times-andrew-and-neil-kissed-in)
> 
> thanks for reading <3


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